It puzzles me how you would think that an organizer would invest a great deal of time and money and not sort out all the details. I consulted the USCF, FIDE, IA Frank Berry and Sevan Muridian. Please don't tell people to not play. That is not very nice. I would not sabotage an event you are trying to host.

I dont host events though and to be honest I checked details with other people and originally you put on your event details one time control for digital and one for analogue that wasnt correct under fide on top of which there was another issue regarding a fide rule cant remember it off the top of my head. Im not trying to sabotage your event as you put it Im just trying to make sure you have a good event that is correct under fide rules which are much different than uscf !

Jon, I quote you, "I don't suggest playing in this event." That is not insuring we have a good event, that is contributing to NOT having an event. I agree it was confusing with the time info. It was not meant to say there are 2 time controls, but explaining the anolog equivalant to the digital time control.If you want to make sure we have a good event email me privately in a constructive manner, help out. I would say thank you. I am a little upset the way you went about it here. Very inappropriate.

how funny chris hasnt event send the il chess board a correction for the time control in his event !.

Chris the guy who hasnt been a certified TD for almost 2 and a half years now per the uscf website.

So lets see 5 round open or whatever it is. The first three rounds the top players will demolish the lower players then play each other so the top players dont get to play all of each other better to do an all play all fide like everyone else does. Why Chris is doing an open swiss I have no clue its a mystery but then again Chris is a mystery as well.

Good luck to anyone who plays in this event should be a laugh.

I wonder if there will be any coverage on the web hmmm probably not chris be too busy trying to find players for the tournament.

I have seen a lot of Masters or Experts in USA do not like playing in fide. The reason is they enjoy their current inflated USCF rating. Fide rating is generally around a 100 points lower than USCF. It is more important for people who are 2200 USCF rating as in Fide they will be 2100 and can not call them 'Master'.

I want to thank the cowards who hide behind anonymous and attack me. What have you done to further chess? I am trying. I have and do make mistakes. I wish I were as perfect you seem to be. Nothing like being welcomed back to organizing, wonder why I ever quit? -Christopher Baumgartner

There is one point I will agree with. I am considering a 2 section tournament with a FIDE rated upper section and non-FIDE rated lower section. Round robins are also being planned. (see my site-there is a link on this page)I am dedicated to provide the format that will allow the maximum number of players to achieve a FIDE rating should they desire it. I thank you for the one suggestion. But I would also ask that you clean up your act.

Chris according to your own experience from your blog see here you got a norm what type of norm did you get the helpless norm ?

It states you scored the norm.....

Ok, so you might want to know the details to actually achieve a FIDE rating.You have to play 9 rated FIDE players.The 9 games are divided into 3 groupings of 3 games. None of the games you play will count until you achieve AT LEAST 1 point in your first grouping of 3 games. Then in the next grouping of 3 games you need to score 1/2 point. In the third and final set of 3 games you need only score 1/2 point again. For example, I played 2 FIDE rated tournaments. The first tournament I did not get 3 FIDE rated players. No rating norm. The second tournament I got 4 FIDE rated opponents, but only scored 1/2 /4. No rating norm. In my third FIDE tournament I FINALLY scored 1 1/2/5 FIDE rated games. I now have 5 FIDE rated games because I scored the norm. Now I need 4 more FIDE rated games. With the next set of 3 games I play, I need only to score 1/2 point. THEN, I get a FIDE rating! Here's another way you could achieve your FIDE rating. You play in an event with 9 FIDE rated players. You score 2/9. The requirements are 1 point, then 1/2 and then one last 1/2 or 2 total. In that one tournament, you achieved the requirements you need. Sounds confusing? It can be. If you want more details, go to the FIDE website where it all becomes as clear as milk. Good Hunting!

I just found this blog. You know, you anonymous guys need to chill out. It looks like Chris is trying something new in this area. You guys should try to support him not try to tear him down.

Look if he makes things work here, then chess goes better in our area. If you find things that aren't perfect from your viewpoint then you should kindly point these points out so that Chris can improve what he wants to do.

I have an idea about some sites where his tournaments may go better. I think I'll contact him and see what he thinks. While the system he has may not be perfect, it can probably be made better. I'll call him and see with him. What the heck!

use some logic you idiot. the number of fide rated players should be at least half of the nonfide rated players to give them a chance of getting three games in. and they still need to score a point against those three.

tom fogec is good td. but he's a td and not an arbiter. if you don't know the difference then channel your anger into reading and finding the difference. then you won't be as much of an idiot.

OK, let's make a few things clear to those of you hiding behind "anonymous" tags who want to put Chris down for trying something.

First, it is very difficult to get a FIDE rating in the United States, and also very expensive. To do so, you have two choices: find a good Open or invitational event (that you actually get invited to) and then travel to it. This is very costly. Trust me, I know, this is how I got my FIDE rating. Second, you get lucky and someone organizes an event close to you. This is far better- ask Iowans who have played in FIDE events in Ames and Des Moines that I helped organize. Far less costly and always competitive. Chris has played in Oklahoma- a GREAT place to get your FIDE rating. Read my ICB article on the topic, or I'll repost it on my blog if you want. They run Open Swiss events in OKL and usually get outstanding support (attendance) from local and non-local players. I have made the 8-hour drive multiple times. The idea of an Open FIDE Swiss is a great one- they are the most fun tournaments to play in because, aside from the typical goal of a tournament (prize, rating points) you also have the possibility of scoring a rating norm.

Bottom line:YOU SHOULD BE THANKFUL SOMEONE IS TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO ORGANIZE SUCH A TOURNAMENT.

Instead, you immature posters have probably made Chris regret ever considering creating this event. I am appalled at the lack of respect exhibited here. But, I suppose, what do you expect when you create a culture via the internet where anonymous users can essentially get away with libel?

Second, let me respond to this absolutely absurd statement:

"I have seen a lot of Masters or Experts in USA do not like playing in fide. The reason is they enjoy their current inflated USCF rating. Fide rating is generally around a 100 points lower than USCF. It is more important for people who are 2200 USCF rating as in Fide they will be 2100 and can not call them 'Master'."

The majority of players I know in this range are dying to play FIDE events because they know it will promise them, if nothing else, COMPETITION. Also that conversion is not necessarily accurate. I have in fact head the opposite- that USCF ratings are 100 less than FIDE- and seen that be the case in several instances.

Finally, whatever moron was bashing Chris for not being a TD obviously has no concept of the difference between "directing" a tournament and "organizing". Fortunately, since you evidently know how to use the internet and have some degree of literacy, they invented www.dictionary.com. Look up the two above words in quotation marks and get back to me.

The only reason I am not playing this weekend- and I mentioned this to Chris when he had just initially conceived the event- is because I am organizing a local scholastic event and need to be there. Otherwise I would love to play as getting in good, internationally-rated games against strong competition is a rare commodity that you should all value and be thankful for.

Thanks for the post. It only makes sense to adress the posts that are signed, and not to bother wasting energy and time over the anonymous ones. Regardless of the personal differences that some people may have with Chris, it is rather unfortunate to see some of the reactions on this blog.

I strongly encourage players to support a new event in Wisconsin. The only reason I am not playing is that the US Closed qualifier in Tulsa is at the end of the month and there is no way I would have energy for two serious tournaments in one month.

The only truly productive suggestion I have for Chris is the timing of the tournament: it is the weekend before State Scholastic and thus some juniors (including some of my students) won't be able to participate. However, I know that the organizers often do not get to pick an "ideal weekend" and do the best they can under the circumstances. Good luck to Chris with his organizing efforts in Wisconsin!

I will openly state the things I can see that arent quite right with this event.

1) Like Alex said week before big scholastic event cant be avoided since there is so much scholastic chess.

2) This is an open swiss which means some players may play few or no fide players depending on how many fide players show up that is why most events where people are trying to get seriously fide rated are round robin events. Most fide big tournaments are swiss events and you do take your chances to see if you will play enough fide players however in england we had small fide events with some fide people and some non fide people which was much better.

3) A lack of pre registration. Nobody knows how many fide players will show up say 10 fide players show up and 70 non fide players play how many of those non fide players will play fide rated people ?

I do wish the event well I just feel there are things that could have already been improved

Just a note about the black EXCALIBUR chess clock. This chess clock can be set to add-on time. Please check the directions booklet. If you cannot figure it out, please bring your clock this weekend (please do not leave it home thinking you cannot use it) and we will demonstrate how the setting works. Actually, I believe it is one of the pre-sets. Thanks.

Sorry all - tried to post a link to some manuals but it didn't seem to work.

http://www.wholesalechess.com/downloads

And there are manuals there.

I highly recommend getting your clock programming prior to showing up. Chris and Tom will have their hands full with other duties. Remember that the TD and organizer are NOT responsible for assisting in the programming of your clocks.

Set it for 1 move in 90 min and 1 move in 30 Sec for the repeating control.

Description: This is standard chess tournament timing with unlimitedrepeating time-controls, also called progressive timing. A player mustmake forty moves in two hours, and if he does an hour is added to hisremaining time for the next twenty moves etc. Since the clock has sixdigits it is not possible to show the move counter and the time in hours,minutes, and seconds at the same time. If the time is less than tenminutes, the clock will show a double dash followed by minutes :seconds, and otherwise the time will be given in hours : minutes. Seethe remark about modes with a move counter in the Discussion of themodes - General section above (p 20).Intended use: Serious chess or shogi.Pros: Number of moves made in the time- control is displayed.Cons: Since only six digits can be display-ed, it is not possible toshow hours, minutes, and seconds at the same timeunless the time remaining is less than ten minutes.